The Senses Flashcards
Sensory Neurons (Afferent Neurons)
- E.g. retinal cells, olfactory epithelium cells
- Carry information from the sense organs to the brain (via an interneuron)
Stimulus acts on receptor in the neuron, causing direct depolarization
“Generator Potential” Afferent sensory neuron
Efferent Neurons
- Spinal motor neurons, pyramidal neurons, Purkinje cells of the cerebellum.
- Carry information from the nervous system to effector organs such as muscle - “Motor neuron”
Interneurons
- Have short axons
- communicate only within their immediate region
- Communicate to other neurons
Multipolar neurons
e.g. Motor Neuron
Many cellular extensions from cell body
1 axon
Most common type in vertebrates
Bipolar Neurons
2 main processes from the cell body
1 dendrite (highly branched)
Least common type in vertebrates (but is seen in retinal cells)
Unipolar Neurons
- Sensory neurons
- More common in invertebrates
- eg. environmental signals, tactile sensation
Ionotropic Transduction
A stimulus triggers channels to open by direct action.
Metabotropic Transduction
A stimulus triggers channels to open indirectly via a second messenger.
Epithelial Sensory Receptor Cell
- Stimulus acts on receptor in receptor cell, causing depolarization and release of neurotransmitter
- “Receptor potential”
Reception of Signal: Sensory Unit
- Multiple sensory cells or sensory receptors within 1 cell converge onto an afferent neuron – together this is the sensory unit
- Note different shape of sensory neuron vs motor neuron
Tonic Receptors
fire action potential as long as signal is present; slow to adapt
Phasic Receptors
do not encode duration, but may respond to beginning and end of stimulus; fast to adapt
Baroreceptors
detect pressure of vessels, the heart, digestive, reproductive and urinary tract
Proprioceptors
detect monitor position of the body
Tactile receptors
detect touch, pressure, vibrations
Preamble
Tactile receptors and accessory structures in the epidermis and dermis
- Free nerve endings (pressure)
- Merkel’s disks (pressure)
- Pacinian corpuscle (vibration)
- Ruffini corpuscle (stretch; proprioception)
- Root hair plexus (hair displacement)
Vestibular sacs/Otolith organs:
Utricle (horizontal) and Saccule (vertical)
- A membrane called the macula is composed of gelatinous matrix
- Mineralized otoliths rest on the matrix
Semi-circular canals
- No otoliths
- Hair cells protrude into a gelatinous mass called the cupula
- Detect angular acceleration and circular movement in all 3 planes
- Fluid moves stereocilia toward kinocilium = activation
- Fluid moves stereocilia away from kinocilium = inhibition
Hearing: The Cochlea
Spiral structure filled with fluids in three parallel fluid filled canals
* Cochlea is derived from the Greek word kokhlias “snail or screw”
* breaks down sound by frequency
Within the Scala media lies the Organ of Corti: Sensory organ of hearing
- Sound transmission
- Composed of Hair cells which rest on the Basilar membrane (blue) and the Tectorial membrane (purple)
- Fluid in the cochlea moves with vibrations
- Within the Scala media, this fluid vibration causes the basilar membrane to move up and down.
- Movement of the basilar membrane causes hair cells to press against the tectorial membrane and de or hyper polarize.